Tomorrow, the community that produced Beyond Branding meets for its annual retreat at Medinge, outside Stockholm.

Last summer, at the end of the meeting we had the idea of putting our ideas together in a book. Now, one year on, the book is about to go to press, this blog is running and our network has extended itself.

So Beyond Branding is now, ironically, a brand itself. One that has arisen from the shared ideas of individuals from different parts of the world, who connected with each other mostly online, and have only met face-to-face on a few occasions - and never as a whole group.

It's what our co-author Alan Mitchell might classify as a Passion Brand. It hasn't been created with the aim of making money, but as a way of expressing some shared frustrations, hopes and ideas. In that sense, despite the virtual nature of our collaboration, it is a very human endeavour.

When we have met, as we did last summer, and in Amsterdam in January, these have been great meetings. Not like your average overpriced business conference where the audience sits numbed by Powerpoints; but lively debates where people are sharing their ideas and enthusiasms, the things the excite, annoy and generally impassion them.

This week there'll be some new faces at the event as well as some familiar ones from past encounters. I wonder what new ideas will emerge? posted by Johnnie M, 6:18 AM  permalink